Collapsible container



Patented Nov. 26, 192 9 UNITED STA DANI L J. BELLIN, or BRONX, NEWYemen. Y.

' COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER Application filed October 2,5, 192?. Serial No.228,546.

This invention relates to collapsible containers.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of an improvedcontainer which can be knocked down to permit packing and shipping incompact form, and which can be rapidlyset up for useinto a practicallyrigid, self-sustaining position.

A further object of this invention is to provide a container of thecharacter set forth,

having an improved corner construction providing for interlocking thewalls of the container in a particularly neat and efficient manner whenin set up position, and serving also as a reenforcement for said walls,while at the same time permitting assembly of the box with maximumcelerity and convenience. A further object of this invention is toprovide a unitary blank for a container of the character set forth, ofsuch design and construction as to make for a high degree of economy inlabor and material in setting up the completed container therefrom.

Other objects of this invention Wlll in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordinglyconsists in the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which thescope of application willibe indicated in the following claims.

1n the accompanying drawing, in which is .embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank embodying the invention, indicatingscored bend hues and cut-outs for a purpose hereinafter to appear.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentar corner of a container mem tion.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of said corner. v I

Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a container member made according to theinvention.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the blank for said containermember, knock d down for shipment and ready to be plan view of a er inset up posishown one of the various possible illustrative folded to formthe container of theinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawings,'B denotes a blank embodying theinvention. Said blank is made of any suitable material, preferably afibrous material, such as compressed paper board having the desiredstiffness, and cut into a single piece, here shown as of rectangularform. Said blank may be provided with the longitudinal fold lines 10,and the transverse fold lines 12which may be scored upon blank B. Theseseveral lines define a body portion 13,.and end and side sections 14 and16, and the corner sections 18. Fold lines 10 and 12 intersect at points20, from which points fold lines 22 extend diagonally to the corners ofblank B, dividing corner sections 18 into the triangular sections 24,26. A slit line 28 defines a tongue 30 cut in each section 24, the neck32 of the tongue being on the portion 34 of the fold line 10 boundingcorner section 18. A slit 36 is cut at a side of each triangular section26 along the portion 33 of fold line 12 which forms a boundary forcorner section 18.

In preparing the blank B for shipment to the point of use, or inpreparing it for storage, it is desirable to set it up in such mannerthat the finished container may be swiftly developed from thisintermediately prepared product. -F or these purposes,the blank B isfolded inwardly on the lines 10, so that the corner sections 18 will lieon top of the end sections 14 while the side sections 16 will besuperimposed along the sides of and upon the body portion 13. Rivets 40may now be I driven through each end section 14 to secure thereto thesuperimposed trlangular section 24, the rivets being applied so as toengage that portion of the triangular section 24, not bounded by theslit line 28 and portion 34 of fold line 10; By this construction, thereis provided an intermediate form F which lends itself readily. toshipment because of its inherent adaptability forassembly, hereinafterappearing.

When it is desired to set up a container C for use, a folded formF isused in the followingmanner. The end sections 14 and their securedtriangular sections 24 are bent 'upwardly and inwardly of body portion13.

to terminate in the tapered end portion 42,

Simultaneously side sections 16' will rise up wardly and bend outwardlyfrom body portion 13, and triangular section 26 will be folded on line22 into abutment with the face i of section 24, with slit 36 appearingin osition to receive the tongue 30 which has een sprung from triangularsection 24 before the last bending operations were begun.

Said tongue,as apparent from the drawing, has a peculiar configurationfor the purpose of facilitating the formation of container C andthereafter retaining the several parts thereof in fixed relation, andfor resisting any undue strains thatmay be brought to bear upon saidcontainer. Tongue 30 is seen which extends from areduced body portion44, the greatest width of which is less than the length of slit 36. Theedges 46 of the tongue 30 at said body portion have the appearance oftroughs. This effect is produced by a decided increase in the Width oftongue 30 as the edges 46 approach the neck of said tongue. Adjacent theneck of said tongue is a bulge 48 of slightly greater width than thelength of said slit, while at the neck, I the tongue is reduced so as tobe snugly received in said slit.

It can, therefore, be seen that, during the simultaneous operationofbending sections 14, 16, 24 and 26 into their respective positions, thetapered end portion 42 may be inserted into slit 36 at each corner ofcontainer C, reduced, body portion 44 smoothly entering said slit untilbulge 48 engages therewith. A slightly increased pressure on the outerface of end section 14 adjacent tongue 30 will serve to force bulge 48through slit 3'6 and allow secure engagement between the reduced neckportion 32 of the tongue and said slit. It will be understood that aclosed container may now be assembled, either by covering container C bya similar section, or by any other section of similar or differentconstruction. In the drawing, however, for purposes of clarity, thecover section has been omitted. Y

By the herein described construction of container C, a reinforced cornerconstruction for said container is provided without the use of anymaterial other than that embodied in the single blank from which thecontainer proper is formed. Furthermore, a container, readily set upfrom or collapsed into small, convenient compass for shipping and likepurposes, is produced.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which theseveral objects of this invention are achieved, and which is welladapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might made of the above-invention, andas various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, itis to be understood that all'matterherein set forth or shown in theaccompany ng drawing is to be interpreted as'1llustrat1ve and'not in alimiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I

another edge of said corner portion to engage in said slit.

2. A container having end and side walls connected by corner portions,each corner portion being folded diagonally and lying against a wall ofthe box, a slit being formed at. an edge of the corner portion, and atongue out so as to be folded from .another eiilge of said cornerportion to engage in said s it.

3. A container having end and side Walls connected by corner portions,each corner portion being folded diagonally andlying inside of the box,a slit being formed-at an edge of said corner portion,.a tongue out outfrom said corner portion and folded on another edge of said portion toengage in said slit, and a permanentfastening means in proximity to saidcut-out, securing one section only of said corner portion to theadjacent wall of the box.

4. A folding container having end and side walls connected by cornerportions, each corner portion being diagonally folded and lying insideof the box, said corner portion having. a tongue foldable at one edgethereof and a slit in another edge thereof, said tongue being engagedin'said slit to hold adjacent side walls of said container together, and

permanent fastening means in proximity to said tongue for securing onefolded section only of said corner portion to an adjacent wall of thebox. A

5. A substantially rectangular one piece blank for making a container ofthe character described having fold lines marked thereon extendinglongitudinally and transversely of said blank, said lines defining abody, side and end walls for said container and integral cornerportions, diagonal lines extending from the intersections of saidlongitudinal and transverse lines across said corner portionto adjacentcorners of said blank,

and forming triangular sections, a tongue form slittedin one of saidsections, and a single slit formed along a fold line between the othersections and an adjacent wall of the container. i v

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

DANIEL-J. BELLIN.

